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Gas Prices Sprout Wings for Spring

Average Price Up 13 Cents Over Last Year

By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.com

April 6, 2007
Gasoline prices are still rising, with the national average for a gallon of regular self serve up 2 cents overnight at $2.72.

Analysts suggest the rate of increase is easing slightly but the average price is now 13 cents higher than this time last year and 2006 saw record summertime prices at the pump.

Easter holiday and spring break travel are driving up gasoline demand, assuring that prices will remain high through at least through this weekend.

Midgrade gasoline is selling for $2.89 a gallon and premium is selling for an average of $3 a gallon. Diesel fuel sells for an average of $2.88 a gallon.

Consumers in Bridgeport, California are hit the hardest at the pump with a gallon of regular costing $3.99. The cheapest gallon of regular on sale in the country costs $2.35 and can be found in Glasgow, Kentucky.

Here is a look at some gasoline prices from around the country in the ConsumerAffairs.com Gas Price Round Up.

California: Gas prices have continued to rise in Southern California by almost a penny a day, and have come within 15 cents of last May's all-time record prices, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.

The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $3.26, which is 5.5 cents higher than last week, 38 cents higher than last month, and 42 cents higher than last year.

On the Central Coast, the average price is $3.37, up 5.6 cents from last week, 35 cents above last month, and 44 cents higher than last year.

In the Inland Empire, the average price is $3.29, 6.3 cents above last week, 40 cents higher than last month, and 45 cents higher than last year.

"California still has by far the highest gas prices in the country, but other states' prices rose even more rapidly than California over the last week, and Nevada has just become the second state with a gas price average over $3 a gallon," Auto Club spokeswoman Carol Thorp said.

Texas: Gas prices zoomed upward in Texas over the past week driven by high wholesale prices that reflected investors' worry about the effects of Middle East tensions on supply, according to the AAA Texas Weekend Gas Watch.

The highest average on the list is Amarillo at $2.69 a gallon -- up eight cents. The cheapest average, $2.49 a gallon, was found in both Corpus Christi, where prices rose by 11 cents, and San Antonio, where prices increased by eight cents.

"Crude oil prices have dipped in the past couple of days, but it's too early to say whether that's a trend that will bring an end to increasing gas prices statewide and nationwide," said AAA Texas spokeswoman Rose Rougeau.

"Supply in west Texas continues to be affected by the Valero refinery closure. The refinery is expected to begin producing at half its normal output of 170,000 barrels of gas a day beginning in mid-April," Rougeau said.

Michigan: The British sailors are free, but local gas prices are still rising. The latest factors to take the blame are a pessimistic hurricane forecast, rising demand and the Easter Bunny. The average price of a gallon of regular in Metro Detroit is up nearly a nickel overnight to $2.69, according to AAA Michigan.

Prices are rising on reports that even in April, American's demand for gasoline is nearing levels typically seen in mid-summer and that this year's hurricane season is expected to be active.

Short-term, Easter holiday and spring break travel are driving up gasoline demand, assuring that prices will remain high through at least this weekend.

Among factors that could cause prices to dip are continued relative calm in the Middle East and refineries reaching full production to meet summer demand, said Mark Griffin, president of the Michigan Petroleum Association.

Ohio: In two days gas prices in the Dayton area have spiked 20 cents reaching as high as $2.89 at some stations.

Since March 29, gas had dropped steadily from its highest price so far this year, when it was about $2.64 a gallon.

Just two days ago, the average price in the area was $2.57 a gallon. The lowest priced gas in Dayton over the last 48 hours was $2.29 a gallon.

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